As a child, Chris Harrington always drew things. As a teenager he was still into animation, and continued to sketch. And now, as an adult, after going off course for a bit, he has followed his passion straight to being an illustrator.

A graduate from the Pratt Institute, he veered away from sketching for some time as he got into painting and experimented with other different styles.

“It took four years of college to get to that point,” he said. The point he’s referring to is where he could draw a believable cartoon with enough movements and enough character to stand on its own.

Now, a writer of several stories for children, which are soon to be published, and an illustrator of cards that send simple and quirky messages with a dash of cuteness, the 23-year-old is looking to make a name for himself.

He often draws animals because of his love for them and his passion for protecting them. On his blog, he often posts illustrations of animals that take on human characteristics.

From cards with cool foxes on it that read, “Wish you were here,” to animations with lanky giraffes that seem to take on a clumsy demeanor and another where a monster is reading a bedtime story to a little girl, lulling her to sleep, Harrington’s illustration style is easily caught. It comfortably pulls a viewer and soon-to-be reader in with their easy, colloquial and simple messages. He even showcases kid-friendly sculptures.

But for him, illustration is another extension of himself.

“It’s a means of communication for me,” he said. “I’ve gotten this close, I have to keep going.”

His main aim is to have people identify with his style and with him. “I want people to know where I’m coming from when they see my work and identify with me,” he said.